Kurasu no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon Suru Koto ni Natta Volume 6 Chapter 2

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END ME

Battle Inside the Water

Upon arriving at school, Saito immediately ran into Akane on the fourth floor.

“…!”

Spotting Saito’s face, Akane came to an abrupt halt, turned her back toward him, and started running. She resembled a character in a horror movie who happened to run into the monster, as she quickly disappeared around the corner. Before they got married, they pretty much talked every single day (although it was mostly fighting), and once they moved in together, it was pretty much the same (with mostly fighting), so Saito wasn’t used to being avoided like this.

—Do I…want to talk to her badly enough that I’d be fine fighting?

If so, Saito was a lost cause. Wishing to receive attention no matter what kind it would be was the same as admitting he was a child deprived of affection. As Saito prided himself on being a solo player, he was utterly shaken by this possibility.

“Man…” Saito leaned against the guard rail of the balcony and sighed.

“Did you do something to make Akane hate you for good this time?”

Himari walked up next to Saito and took a glance at his face. Her blonde hair shone brightly as it was hit by the morning sun, as her well-developed body was clad in a white uniform.

“She’s still treating me like an insect. Whether it’s at home or here…”

“You’re still fighting?” Himari laughed.

“This isn’t a laughing matter. The air at home is so bad it’s giving me stomach cramps, and I can’t really sleep at night.”

“Pent-up stress, huh? Let me give you a good round of healing.” Himari walked up behind Saito, gently massaging his neck and shoulders…which in itself was fine, but she was pushing herself toward him at an awfully close distance.

Her chest was pressing against his back at full force, and he could hear her faint breathing. This left Saito restless.

“Stop clinging to me like this.”

“Why?”

“Because your chest…is hitting me.”

“I know that.” Himari let out a snicker.

She pressed her two melons against him with even greater force, as if to emphasize their size.

“Then stop it.”

“Remember that we’re still technically dating? And as lovers, this much is normal, right?”

“Ugh…”

“No way to escape, huh?”

“…You make a good point.”

“It’s rare to see you at a loss for words like this. I might actually be a bit happy.” Himari spoke with a teasing tone.

She ran her slender finger down Saito’s neck, pressing at certain parts of his back. Since Saito was already sleep-deprived, this odd massage was even more effective.

“You’re pretty good at this…”

“I’d give Akane massages whenever her shoulders got stiff from all the studying, so I’m used to it. I know all the parts that make her feel really good.”

“You two should just go out instead.”

“Hee, hee. I wonder about that.” Himari didn’t even try to deny it.

The relationship between Akane and Himari was much more like a married couple than the actual married couple. Having spent years with Akane, Himari knew exactly how to build a proper conversation.

“Thanks. I feel a lot better.”

“You’re welcome.” Himari moved next to Saito again.

As she leaned against the guard rail, her long hair fluttered from a breeze.

“Hey, Saito-kun? Should I tell you why she’s avoiding you?”

“Do you know?”

“Of course I do. We’re best friends, remember?”

“Then, please! Tell me!” Saito pushed his body towards Himari.

“Well…I’d like a reward.” She ran one finger along her lips as she stared at Saito.

Her suggestive gesture made Saito remember what happened at the train station. Illuminated by the setting sun, Himari pressed her lips onto Saito’s. The soft sensation he felt at the time was now filling his mind, as he was reliving it.

“A kiss is a bit…” Saito grew flustered, which made Himari pout.

“I never said anything about a kiss, though? Do you want to do it again?”

“No way!”

“Aw, that forceful rejection sure hurt…Was our kiss that gross to you?”

“No…” Saito reflected on the fact that his vocabulary was too limited to properly express himself.

Himari pushed her mouth to his ear, gently whispering as if she was out to grasp his heart all at once.

“So…it felt good?”

“…!” Saito struggled for an answer.

It definitely didn’t feel bad back then. In fact, he remembered how much his heart was racing. He could never feel bothered by the fact that a girl with a personality and looks like Himari was gunning for him. And Himari probably knew that was exactly how he felt, as she grinned brightly.

“Sorry for teasing you. I don’t need a kiss as a reward.”

“Then what else do you want…?” Saito took a defensive pose.

“I might need some help with school, actually.”

“That I can do no problem. Should we meet up in the library room after school?”

“Actually, I’d prefer my own place instead.”

“I don’t know if that’s…”

Himari put her hands together in front of her chest and gave a genuine response.

“I just can’t focus too well with other people around. And I’d feel bad if you taught me all for nothing.”

“…Is that really all?” Saito gave her a dubious look.

“That really is all I want!” Himari pressed on further.

Her eyes showed no suspicious glimmer. If she really was planning on taking her studies more seriously, then Saito wanted to support her. He didn’t want to see Himari’s life go down the drain.

“…Got it. But I’ll make sure to pump your head full with as much knowledge as I can. We’re not gonna quit mid-way, you hear me?”

“Yup! With Saito-kun, I can go at it all night!”

“We’re not gonna work that long!”

“But you said we won’t quit mid-way, remember? You can be quite the beast, Saito-kun.” Himari blushed.

—Are we really just going to study…?

Saito grew worried.

After classes ended, Saito and Himari left the classroom together. Since their classmates still thought they were dating, they didn’t bat an eye at that fact. They simply commented on how close they are, and that they were probably going on a date again. The majority of them were sending them off with warm gazes. When they first started their fake relationship, most of Himari’s male fans were ready to murder Saito on sight, but now they moved on to genuinely support them. Maybe they’d simply given up. Saito felt a glimmer of guilt since he was deceiving all of them. Arriving at the front entrance, they ran into Akane who was changing into her outdoor shoes.

“Akane! See you tomorrow!” Himari waved her hand and said goodbye.

“…Yeah. Tomorrow.” Akane looked away and started walking.

For a split second, it felt like she sent sparks at Himari.

—Was I just seeing things?

They didn’t seem to be fighting, and yet Himari had a somewhat confident expression on her face. And as expected, Akane still didn’t honor Saito with even a glance. A feeling of dejection filled him, as he went on his way with Himari.

They reached the flat and went up to the third floor, to which Himari opened the front door. Visiting someone else’s home was truly a weird experience. The residents themselves didn’t know, but their home was filled with a distinct smell. Walking inside an apartment full of Himari’s scent made Saito feel even more nervous. He stopped at the front door to hesitate for a moment when Himari turned towards him.

“Come on in, Saito-kun.”

“Y-Yeah. Are your parents home?” He took off his shoes and stepped inside.

“They’re not. They’d just be getting in the way, right?”

“In the way of what…?”

“A lot.” Himari stretched her arm past Saito and locked the front door.

The metallic locking sound reverberated in the otherwise quiet hallway. It only emphasized the fact that it was just the two right now, making Saito even more conscious of Himari’s distinct scent. Himari’s room was decorated with a glass table, on which the two put their workbooks and notes, as they began studying. Himari had changed into her casual clothes in a different room, wearing a camisole plus short pants.

There was no danger of accidentally taking a peek at her underwear…but with the camisole far too short, her belly button was in plain sight. Contrary to her well-endowed chest, her hips were slender. Her delicate shoulders were easy for Saito to see, shining like they had been bathed in oil. However, contrary to Saito’s worries, Himari was actually putting her mind to studying. He’d go through the questions from class or homework that she didn’t understand, carefully explaining it to her.

Since she was by no means inept at learning, she mostly grasped the concept after a brief clarification. It made sense that she could so easily control her classmates with a bit of reading up on psychology. After they worked through a good portion of their workbook, Saito took out his smartphone and checked the time to see two full hours had already passed.

“Shall we take a quick break?”

“Are you sure?” Himari seemed relieved.

“I can tell that you’re running out of focus, so it’d be more efficient if we take a breather.”

“Thank God!” Himari jumped on the bed and buried her face in her pillow.

Her long body stretched along the sheets, with her well-formed butt creating a small hill, revealing her snow-white calves. Meanwhile, Saito took out a mystery novel from his bag and continued from where he stopped last time. However, none of what he read actually registered in his mind. Staying in the same room as his female classmate, let alone a girl who harbored feelings for him, his mind was focused elsewhere.

“…Hey.”

“?!”

Himari’s finger poked at his neck, making his shoulders twitch.

“Wh-What do you want?” He turned around as his entire body was covered in goosebumps, finding Himari grinning at him.

“Why don’t you join me while we take a break together?”

“I’m busy reading.”

“But you didn’t make any progress?”

“I’m rereading the passages to fully digest them.”

“Really now? I think you’re just flustered because you’re in my room.”

As Himari hit exactly where it hurt for Saito, he had no possible choice of rebuttal. The ticking sound of the clock hanging on the wall was the only noise breaking apart the silence. But even louder than that was his own heartbeat.

“What’s the big deal? You’re sleeping next to Akane every single night, right? It shouldn’t be a problem if you lay down next to me.” She gently pulled on Saito’s arm, her lips colored in a seductive tone, which contradicted her regular peaceful expression.

“My grandfather forced that condition onto us, so we have no other choice but to sleep next to each other. We’re not doing anything weird or unholy.”

“Then it would be totally fine if you laid down next to me, right?”

“That’s…”

“Am I wrong? You’d be doing the same thing as you and Akane are.”

“That…is true?”

Saito still wasn’t fully accepting of this logic, but he couldn’t find a way to break out of it, either. And since Saito valued logic over emotions, there was no reason to argue against that. Thus, he kept a bit of space between them as he put his body down on the bed. Just as Himari stated, nothing was weird about this…But sleeping next to a female classmate of his felt a bit different from how he was used to it. The blanket and pillow were all drenched in Himari’s scent, it felt like his entire body was embraced by Himari.

At the same time, Himari rolled around to face him. Her facial features and beauty, distanced from the Japanese standard, were right in front of him.

“D-Don’t get too close.”

“Why? Do you and Akane also sleep at the absolute opposite ends of the bed? Don’t you end up entangled when you wake up in the morning?”

Despite Himari speaking with a gentle tone, Saito felt like he was being interrogated. No, this was evidently an interrogation. She was questioning Saito if he and Akane ever did anything unsavory.

“Sometimes…we do end up like that.” Saito thought he was confessing his crimes in front of a jury and judge at this point.

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem if I snuggle up to you a bit, right?”

“I can’t argue against that.”

“Hee, hee. Then, excuse me~” Himari smiled happily and pushed her body closer toward Saito.

Her thighs intertwined with his hip, pulling him towards her.

“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?!”

“It’s fine…We’re both wearing clothes.”

“That’s not the problem, right?!”

Himari put one finger on the shoulder string of her camisole, pulling it down.

“If you want me to strip that badly, I don’t mind. If we both became naked and put our bodies together, I bet we’d recover our energy a lot faster.”

“I feel like we’re both just gonna end up exhausted instead…”

“Because you’re gonna assault me?”

Saito realized too late that he misspoke.

“I know how to hold back.”

“So you don’t hate the idea of doing that with me?”

“I’m not gonna deny that you’re a beautiful and charming girl.”

“That makes me happy…”

Himari placed her head on Saito’s shoulder, and her earlobes were beet-red. Her scent grew stronger and stronger, as Saito began to feel dizzy.

“You don’t have to, though. I…won’t tell a soul. Even Akane…okay?” She placed her fingertips on Saito’s chin.

Her eyes were burning with passion, her lips half-opened in anticipation, about to suck in Saito’s lips like a black hole. But at that moment, the front door opened. Both Saito and Himari jumped in shock and froze up.

“Crap…She’s back.”

“Who is she?”

“Rieko-san. My dad’s new wife.” Himari fixed her clothes in a hurry.

They quickly got off the bed and sat down normally at the glass table. In reality, they hadn’t done anything that would warrant this kind of panicky attitude, but he’d rather not be seen cuddling with his classmate, let alone by her parents. Footsteps reverberating with anger approached Himari’s room, as the door swung open. A woman seemingly in her thirties entered the room, furrowed eyebrows that covered a judgmental gaze. Fitting with her glasses was her black hair, beautifully tied up. She seemed like the exact opposite of Himari, not caring too much to add accessories and such.

“Himari-san, who is that?” Rieko observed Saito.

“He’s my classmate from school, Houjou Saito-kun,” Himari answered with a faint tone.

“Bringing a boy home while your parents are away…I cannot believe it. You’re always wearing those revealing clothes, and now you’re engaging in an illicit relationship? If you have time to dirty your body and mind, then maybe you should focus on your studies some more. Why are you even abandoning your academic career to work part-time? In this society, idiots like you won’t survive like this. Do you understand?” Rieko just continued to bash down on Himari without a single second of reprise.

Meanwhile, Himari bit her lip in silence.

“Don’t stay quiet. Explain yourself.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I wasn’t asking for apologies. I want you to think about your own future, and realize that this situation isn’t going to help you.”

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“You are just…!” Rieko was about to burst with anger.

Saito knew this wasn’t his place to join in, but he couldn’t keep watching this slaughtering.

“We were actually just studying, though.”

“It’s okay, Saito-kun. Let’s just go.” Himari grabbed his hand and stepped out of her room.

“You better not leave!” Rieko roared, but Himari didn’t bother to even turn around and just stormed out of the apartment together with Saito.

Inside the elevator heading to the ground floor, a stiff and awkward air reigned.

“Why didn’t you tell her? All we did was study.”

“She’d just get angrier at me if I talked back.”

“No way. As long as you talk with them, they’re bound to understand.”

“Were your parents the kind of people to understand?”

“…”

Saito was at a loss for words. Before even understanding anything was possible, there existed zero communication between him and his family. They didn’t even scold him as Rieko had done. Finally, the awkward elevator ride ended, as the two stepped into the residential district. They encountered countless family homes, reaching the main street with a bus stop.

“Sorry about that. You came all this way to help me study, and yet…”

“I don’t mind, but…what are you going to do now?”

“Good question.” Himari shrugged with a smile.

The sight of her emphasized her expression of solitude, which made Saito’s chest tighten up. He wasn’t used to seeing a cheerful girl like her end up this dejected.

“I’ll probably go for some karaoke to pass the time. What about you, Saito-kun?” Her eyes were growing watery as if she was a puppy begging not to be cast away.

No human being would be able to just leave her standing and go home.

“I’ll tag along for a bit.”

“Really?! Yay! A karaoke date with Saito-kun!” She interlocked arms with Saito and spoke with a cheerful voice.

However, that was only the case for her expression. Rather than love or affection, Saito felt genuine fear from Himari’s grasp. She was afraid of something. Was it the terror of being left alone, or that she would have to face reality? Her face was stiff as she just stared into the distance.

They made their way to the nearest karaoke box on the same street as the bus stop, and they booked a rectangular room on the third floor. With evening right around the corner, a lot of customers were visiting, so they could only get a small room, equipped with a small monitor and table, paired with a fitting sofa. The two sat down next to each other, their bodies about to touch.

“Should I put in a song?” Himari asked.

“I don’t really know any songs.”

“I’m not feeling like it, either.” Himari placed her head on the table.

Her blonde hair scattered like a spider web, spreading her distinct and sweet scent. Her white and slender fingers wandered around aimlessly. The monitor showed an interview with one of the musicians that recently had a new song added, observed by Saito because he had nothing better to do. As the monitor turned off, they could hear the awful singing voices from the room next to theirs. It annoyed the two because they seemingly had no worry or care in the world.

Saito opted to leave for a moment and went down the hallway for some drinks at the drink bar, which offered various juices, soups, and even ice cream. He got some hot chocolate for Himari and grabbed himself some coke. Since his throat felt parched, he drank it all in one go and got another serving before returning.

“You want some?” He offered the cup of hot chocolate to Himari, who raised her head.

“Ah, yeah! Thanks!” She accepted the cup and took a sip after blowing on it a few times. “Phew…” A warm breath escaped her lips, as her expression softened up.

“You knew I liked hot chocolate?”

“I saw you buy it often at the school’s vending machines.”

“You’re…really kind.”

“Not at all. I just don’t like seeing you down in the slums like that.”

Himari’s cheeks reddened.

“You…playboy.”

“How?!”

“You’re way too good at making my heart skip a beat. You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?” She glared at him while speaking with a sulking tone, which looked incredibly cute.

“I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“Then you’re a natural playboy. I feel bad for all the girls falling in love with you.”

“The only girl who’d actually fall for me is you.”

Maho was constantly going on about how much she loved Saito and whatnot, but there was no telling if she was serious or not. It felt more like she was teasing him. Himari, hearing this, covered her mouth and let out a snicker.

“That’s true. If you let your chance with me go to waste, you won’t ever get to have sex for the rest of your life.”

“Don’t say that!”

“Why? Is Akane letting you hit it?”

“Not in the slightest…”

“Aren’t you…pent-up? I would be since I always think about you…” Himari took Saito’s hand, placing it on her thigh.

He could directly feel her warmth, as she bit on her own lip, filled with tension. Saito wasn’t oblivious enough to not realize he was being invited. Her thighs possessed a healthy squishiness. Even though the A/C was running right now, Saito’s body kept on burning hotter. However, he still managed to withhold.

“…We have school tomorrow, so I don’t think we should stay out too late.”

“But I’ll just get scolded once I get home.”

“Then just wait until your father gets home? He’s gonna be on your side, I bet.”

“No, he won’t. He’ll just join her as they both get angry at me. I have no ally at home.”

A color of resignation and indifference lit up inside Himari’s eyes.

“Well…I’m not much better off in that regard, I guess.”

He painfully understood the wish of not wanting to go home, as well as the solitude even when staying at home. His family never offered a safe space.

“Saito-kun…You’re lonely, right? I’m lonely, too. So, let’s comfort each other. We’re the only ones who understand each other’s feelings.” Himari put her shoulder against Saito’s

It felt like they reached a distance where their hearts conjoined and became one. Something started itching inside Saito’s chest. This was dangerous, and so were Himari’s words. It was a letter of invitation straight to the bottomless abyss of deprivation.

“Nothing good will come from us liking each other’s wounds.”

“But that’s what I want to do. I bet it’ll feel good. For both of us.” Himari whispered into Saito’s ear.

Yet again, Saito was late. Akane sat at the kitchen table, feeling restless as she waited for him. As of late, she felt too embarrassed she had no other option but to avoid Saito, but since she actually fed him charcoal before, she wanted to make sure he’d at least come home to some of his favorite food today. And yet, he would not come home no matter how long she waited. He didn’t send her any message either, so the food she worked so hard on had already grown cold.

—It’s like back when I was still a child.

At the time, all Akane would do was wait for her parents to come home. Since they had to earn money for Maho’s treatment, they were both busy working overtime. Even on the days they promised to hurry home like Akane’s birthday, they had to often cancel it because Maho’s condition worsened. They’d then have to stay over at the hospital, so when Akane had to eat her birthday cake all by herself, she just broke out in tears.

She knew that Maho and her parents were suffering all the same, but for a girl as young as her, being left alone was detrimental. And even now that she got married to Saito, she was still waiting for him. Always waiting.

“…Is waiting all I can do?” She muttered.

It felt like a large hole opened up in her chest, but she didn’t know how to fill it. She didn’t know where Saito was or what he was doing, so her fantasies were going crazy. If she truly hated him, she wouldn’t be feeling this way. However, she had to fall in love with him. That’s why she was overcome with joy and excitement when she heard the front door opening. She wanted to come to meet Saito right this instant, but she suppressed that desire. She didn’t want him to realize how happy she was.

“Sorry I ended up late.” Saito entered the living room, showing a sour expression.

“Finally. Dinner is ready.”

“Yeah. I’m tired, though, so I’ll eat it tomorrow morning.”

“Wha…”

All the joy inside Akane cooled down instantly. She worked hard to at least spend time with Saito during dinner. It was her one chance to hold a proper conversation.

“I’ll go take a shower. You can head to bed already.” Saito was about to leave the living room.

At this rate, they’d spend even less time together. They’re living together, only meeting up in the morning and evening. Nothing more, but much less than right now.

“Saito!” Akane couldn’t contain herself and approached Saito.

“Wh-What?” Saito staggered backward.

He ended up being pushed against the wall, and Akane slammed her hands on the concrete to make sure he wouldn’t escape.

“T-Time…together…”

“Time…?” Saito tilted his head in confusion.

Akane felt her heart rate spiking. She was scared of speaking in honesty, as her knees were about to give out, her voice coarse.

“I-I’d like it if we…spend a bit of time…together.”

Her cheeks were burning up, as she was terrified of being rejected by Saito. She was close to tearing up.

“I was actually thinking the same thing.”

“Wh-What?”

“Like I said. I was actually thinking of spending some time with you.”

They felt the same way. That on its own made Akane happy enough that she felt like her knees were about to give out. This…is what it meant to be in love with someone. Every single word and act of Saito made her heart flutter, putting her emotions into an unstable state. It felt like she was riding a rollercoaster.

“What do you want to do?” Saito smiled. “I’m fine with whatever you’re interested in.”

“Huh? I…that’s a bit too sudden…” Akane panicked.

She was genuinely fine just talking with Saito, but given this option, she felt greed fill her mind.

—What would be good?! A cat cafe?! But, I’m not allowed there…Maybe watch a movie?! Then again, we can just watch a movie at home…

Unable to decide, Akane’s eyes wandered all over the place. At that moment, the TV was playing an advertisement for a leisure pool.

“M-Maybe we could go to the pool?!” She blurted out.

—I never would have imagined he’d agree to that.

The shock filling Akane had yet to completely wear off, as she prepared her belongings to head home after a long day at school. Granted, they sometimes went out shopping together, and that could technically qualify as a date…but going to the pool as just them two was undoubtedly a genuine date. It was indecent. Akane couldn’t believe she actually asked Saito for that, even if it was in the heat of the moment, and the fact that he agreed still felt unreal.

—I bet he’s getting his hopes up! He’s expecting us to cross the line, I just know it! That’s the kind of man he is!

Or so went a thought in her mind, but it was a fact that her cheeks softened up, close to forming a grin. She envisioned herself and Saito swimming together, checking out the wave pool, and possibly eating shaved ice. The problem, however, was the matter of swimsuits. Akane had the school-designated swimsuit, but she wasn’t a child anymore, so going with that to a pool outside the school’s area was something she couldn’t allow herself to do. It’d just end with Saito endlessly making fun of her. That being said, the swimsuit she had bought some time ago to hang out with Himari didn’t quite fit her anymore, and it was a bit too plain of one to use on a date.

—Maybe I should…buy a new one? But, which type would be the best…

Akane was deeply lost in thought when someone leaped at her from behind.

“Onee-chan!”

“Eeek?!”

Akane turned around in shock, only to be met by Maho staring into her face.

“What’s that scary face for?”

“Stop leaping at my back all the time…I might just throw you over my shoulder.”

“No worries! I’ll just fight back with all I have if that happens!”

“But I don’t want to fight you…”

“Sometimes, we cannot avoid a battle…right? It is as fate demands it! It is our destiny!” Maho’s eyes lit up.

Akane was once again not sure what her little sister was saying. That being the case, Maho was most likely the best person to ask for advice in this case.

“Maho, you’re pretty knowledgeable when it comes to fashion, right?”

“Sure am! I’m the fashion leader of this school…No, the whole universe! I’m also the founder of the Fashion Week in Paris!”

“That’s amazing!”

“Right? After a lot of fighting against the four heavenly kings of Fashion Week, I was the one who obtained the seat of the queen!”

“So, what is this Fashion Week?”

Since Akane worked hard on her self-study, it was an odd feeling to not know a term like this. Maho put her index finger on her cheek and started talking.

“You don’t know? It’s where adults dress up neatly and then fight against each other to decide the seat of the leader!”

“…That’s amazing!”

Akane was still confused, but since she didn’t want to lose some of Maho’s respect, she opted to just let it slide and look it up later in a dictionary. However, she was now certain that asking Maho for fashion-related advice was definitely the best idea. From her point of view, Maho was always wearing adorable clothes, and she always saw Maho as the cutest girl in the world. Surely, the rest of humanity would agree with her on that.

Normally, Akane would seek help from Himari, but this one instance made it impossible. After all, she had declared war on her, as they were both rivals in love. She couldn’t risk anything now.

“I’m looking for some clothes to wear, would you mind joining me shopping? I’d like your advice.”

Maho jumped for joy.

“Seriously?! I’m going! I’ll turn you into a dress-up doll!”

“I’m not gonna do as you please, okay?”

“Oh, I’m sure you will! Your mouth may hate it, but your body will accept it! I’ll dress you up cutely from head to toe, even down to your organs!”

“My organs don’t need to look cute!”

“People may not be able to see them, but you can’t relax about that! There might be a chance your prince charming gets a glance at your stomach.”

“I don’t have any intention of swallowing a camera to reveal my insides!”

The two sisters left the school behind them and made their way to the business district that was about five stations away. It was a paradise for pedestrians, offering European clothes, accessories, and even cosmetic and lingerie shops. Rather than the small shopping area near their way to school, this business district offered a lot more variety. Maho took Akane’s hand and took her along the shop windows.

“You’ve got a lot of feminine clothes, but sometimes it wouldn’t hurt to get you something gal-ish. Changing your vector to create a fresh image. Though, actually, a masculine outfit would probably look great on you, too.” Maho was starting to get into the groove, but Akane had to pull her back.

“A-Actually…I’m not looking for a normal outfit like that.”

“Huh? Not an outfit? Then what is it?” Maho tilted her head.

“I…am looking for a swimsuit,” Akane commented, her voice coarse and about to disappear.

“Got it! I’ll find a swimsuit that perfectly matches your perverted image!”

“I’m not a pervert!”

“But you are, though?” She said, crouched down, and poked her finger at Akane’s thighs.

“You’re clearly the bigger pervert here!” Akane complained as she pulled down her skirt.

She knew this was a sign of affection, but since Maho would not waste a chance to fondle her chest, Akane could not let down her guard even once.

“You’re the pervert! You’re sleeping in the same bed with a boy you don’t even love! And every single night, no less!”

“Can you not make it sound like there’s more going on behind the scenes?!”

And it should be fine since she genuinely loved Saito, but there was no chance she could actually say that out loud. If Maho were to find out about that, she would mercilessly use that for leverage in the future. Maho was now even more excited than before and dragged Akane to a large shopping center inside a building. They headed up to the sixth floor, reaching a store specializing in only swimsuits.

The inside was riddled with mannequins with their hands on their hips. Everywhere you looked, you could see nothing but swimsuits, varying greatly in design.

“I think this would look good on you. This too. And this. And maybe this…?” Maho grabbed several swimsuits.

“Aren’t you a bit too random at picking them?”

“I just wanna see you wear all sorts of swimsuits…Erm, no. We just have to try out which type of swimsuit fits you the best! It’s the armchair theory!”

Maho couldn’t have been fishier about her argumentation. She dragged Akane to the changing room, pushing her inside.

“C’mon, Onee-chan! I’ll help you change!”

“H-Hold on, I can do that myself!”

“But you helped me change when I was little, remember? I wanna pay you back for that. And I definitely don’t wanna get a good look at your boobs!”

“I can smell the ulterior motive up to here!”

As proof of that, Maho was drooling.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! Just believe me…hehe…”

“The way you’re giggling to yourself like that makes it really hard!”

“It’s just the noise I make!”

“What kind of animal are you?!”

“The ‘I wanna see Onee-chan’s boobs-Saurus’!”

“You’re just admitting it at this point!”

Akane tried to resist, but Maho showed strength unbefitting of a previous hospital regular, as she pulled Akane inside. The curtains closed shortly after, as Akane’s clothes practically got ripped off her. In a matter of seconds, she stood there without even a bra, as she covered herself with her hands. In awe of that sight, Maho raised her thumb.

“Good, good, Onee-chan! I like that bashful gesture!”

“If you weren’t my sister…I’d report you on the spot!” Akane curled up into a ball and shivered.

Meanwhile, Maho puffed out her chest.

“Shame, shame, but I am your sister! And boy am I glad to have been born as your sister because I legally get to look at your naked body as much as I want! Is this what it means to be born a winner?”

“Oh, whatever…Let me get changed already.”

Akane surrendered and gave up on arguing with her sister, as she realized it was a waste of time and effort.

“Leave it to me!”

Maho wrapped what felt like a single string around Akane’s body. A regular swimsuit would usually cover her chest and her upper body to a certain degree, but this showed almost everything. The string bit into her body, revealing her chest, and it made Akane think that being butt-naked would be less embarrassing and seductive.

“Wh-What is this…”

“It’s a micro bikini! If you wear this to the beach, you’ll get everyone’s attention.”

“Which I don’t even want to begin with!”

“It’d be a waste to keep your beauty hidden from the world! You’re a national treasure! I know, I need to take a pic of this and upload it to…” Maho took out her smartphone, ready to snap a picture, but Akane grabbed her wrist.

“Do not.” She warned her with a voice as cold as ice.

“O-Oh geez, Onee-chan! I was joking!”

Maho tried to cover it up as a joke, but she was evidently serious. If Akane was too late in stopping her, she’d have ended up on social media.

“Then how about this one? Hup!”

Maho brought in another swimsuit, which was the exact opposite of the micro bikini. It covered quite a bit of skin, resembling the design of a racing swimsuit, covered by a cardigan and a swimsuit skirt.

“How’s this? Now you won’t need to be embarrassed, right?”

“This is…a bit…”

“Don’t like it after all? But there’s barely any skin visible, it’s like a jersey.”

“I don’t know about a jersey…”

It lacks all types of charm. Akane could see the future in which Saito reprimands her, saying “You can’t get into a pool wearing a jersey,” and became terrified. Hearing that response, Maho took the swimsuit off her again.

“Which one would you prefer, then?”

“I’d rather not have it be too lewd, but…Maybe it could be a bit adventurous? I’d like to look cute in it, at least…” Akane blushed as she mumbled on and on.

Maho brought her face closer and stared at her.

“Wh-What?”

“Onee-chan…Who is going to see the swimsuit?”

Maho’s sharp remark had Akane’s voice shaking.

“Wh-What? Isn’t that obvious?”

“…Who is it?”

“Himari! I don’t have any other friends!”

A sharp pain ran through her chest as she said that. Meanwhile, Maho put her thumb and index finger on her chin, showing a detective’s gesture as she started thinking.

“But…if you were going with Himarin, you’d just ask her for advice, right? Since you went to me, there must be a reason you don’t want her to know about this, yeah?”

“…!”

Maho may be fooling around on the daily, but she definitely had the brains to see through any half-baked lie. She picked up countless languages with ease as she traveled the world, and her grades at school are at the upper level. Compared to Akane, who had to learn everything through sheer effort, Maho had it much easier to figure things out.

“I…I wanted to get a cute swimsuit and show off to Himari.”

“Why would she be happy about that? She’s not me, right?”

“So you’d be happy…”

“Be honest with me. It’s a guy, right?”

“It isn’t!” Akane aggressively shook her head.

“I wonder who it is…Who’s the trash who’d dare approach my Onee-chan…Tell me his name, okay?” Maho clung to the naked Akane from behind, caressing her body as she fiercely questioned her.

She moved like she was petting a cat, almost.

“Like I said…it’s Himari.”

“Enough of your excuses~”

“It’s not an excuse…”

“C’mon, Onee-chan! Come clean already!” Maho gently breathed at Akane’s neck.

“N-No…” Akane protested with tears in her eyes.

In response, Maho sighed and let her go.

“Oh, well…I’ll just have Onii-chan tell me.”

“Wait! That’ll just make things more complicated! I’m going with Saito, okay!” Akane heaved for air as a cold sweat fell over her body.

She didn’t want Saito to think that she was out playing with other guys, and it’d be even worse if he found out that she was buying a new swimsuit just for this occasion. Hearing this, Maho blinked in confusion.

“Huh? With Onii-chan? Where to?”

“The pool that was built recently. It’s called ‘Southern Summer Land’…”

“Ah, that sounds nice! I was interested in that, too! I wanna tag along!” Maho leaped at Akane.

“But…”

Akane wanted to say no, as this was supposed to be a date, but she was too embarrassed to openly confess that. She couldn’t say that she wanted to go with just Saito.

“It’s not far that you get all his attention. I wanna go to the pool with Onii-chan, too! Let’s all have fun!” Maho kept on begging like a kitten waiting to be fed, her eyes filled with hope and anticipation.

Maho had always been an adorable ball of energy, but seeing her beg like that made Akane feel powerless. Seeing her sister’s smile was always her top priority.

“…Okay. We can go as the three of us¹.”

“Yaaay! I love you, Onee-chan!” Maho was overcome with joy as she rubbed her face at Akane’s chest.

In the end, it didn’t just stop there. Gathered at the parking lot of the ‘Southern Summer Land’ were Saito, Akane, and Maho, as well as Himari and Shisei². They came here with the same group as always.

“What is even going on…” Akane sighed as she carried the strawberry design beach bag on her shoulder.

She enjoyed spending time with Himari, and she definitely didn’t mind having Shisei around, but they were not supposed to be here. This was supposed to be her date with Saito.

“What do you mean?” Saito was bewildered.

“Why are all five of us here?!”

“Because Shise and Himari wanted to join, too.”

“That’s not what I mean!”

“Would you have preferred if I got more people with us? These are the only people I could really invite…Sorry.” Saito lowered his head with an apologetic expression.

In the end, he had no idea how Akane felt. But since he apologized for this severely, she couldn’t bring herself to blame him, either.

“Whatever…”

Akane’s shoulders dropped in defeat, heading for the entry. This parking lot had the size of around eight school sports grounds, buried with cars as far as you could see. Staff members were frantically running around, trying to guide visitors to open spots as space efficient as possible. On the way to the front entrance, they passed by a crepe shop, and it took a moment for Saito to pull Shisei away from it. The walls of the entrance were decorated with paintings of palm trees and dolphins to emulate the southern feeling. Right after going inside, they were greeted with statues of penguins wearing flower headbands. Whether this was the mascot for this particular pool or if it was a typical sight in the southern part of the world was a debate for another time.

Just like an amusement park, the entrance was equipped with several ticket gates, as families, groups of friends, and couples all lined up to pay for entry. As the thrifty person Akane was, she felt a bit of hesitation paying the hefty entrance fee and split up from Saito to head over to the changing rooms. The four girls stood in line, putting their beach bags into the pink lockers.

Even though the sunlight was pretty strong today, Shisei wore her usual dress in gothic fashion. And yet, she showed no signs of sweating even the slightest bit, which made you wonder if she was actually some sort of alien. However, she walked around aimlessly while failing to smoothly take off said dress. It was probably designed to be taken off with help.

“Shise have Brother help me change.”

“You can’t!” Akane stopped Shisei, who was about to rush out of the changing room.

“Why?” Shisei tilted her head.

“Do you really need to ask that?! Saito is a boy, and you’re a girl.”

“It’s okay. Brother doesn’t see Shise as a girl.”

“That doesn’t make this any better! What if things went out of control?!”

“Meaning?”

“Th-That’s…” Akane didn’t know what to say.

“Shise wants to hear what kind of vision you had. What do you think would happen? Is it because you and Brother experienced that before?” Shisei kept on questioning Akane, who was burning up in shame.

“W-Well…Maybe there’s a good mood building between the two of you, and then…”

“And what’s so bad about that? Should we rather be on bad terms?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Akane reached her limit, crouching down on the floor. She had zero experience with love, to begin with, so thinking of vivid situations was too much. Meanwhile, Maho placed her hands on Shisei’s shoulders, jumping up.

“Shii-chan, I’ll help you change! But, you’ll let me touch your boobs, too!”

“Any touch means a death sentence.”

“Woohoo! Shii-chan’s gonna kill me!”

Shisei’s warning was met with deaf ears, as Maho already worked on undoing Shisei’s dress. She rubbed her cheek against Shisei’s bare legs, helping her put on the swimsuit as she got her head stepped on. Maho always was weak when it came to beauties like Shisei. These two should be fine even if Akane left them alone. She sighed in relief and opened up her blouse when Himari whispered to her.

“Inviting Saito-kun on a date…Not bad, Akane.”

“Th-That’s not what happened!” Akane embraced her blouse as she protested.

“Then what happened? You invited him to a pool date. Not to mention at a pool that’s really popular with couples.”

“I didn’t know about that! I just…wanted to spend more time with him!”

“But, you bought a new swimsuit, right? A really cute one you probably wanted to show off to Saito-kun, no?” Himari glanced at the new swimsuit in the top part of the locker.

“Y-Yeah! What about it?! This was supposed to be my date with Saito! Why did the rest of you tag along anyway?!”

Backed into a corner, Akane confessed. Luckily, Maho and Shisei were so busy with each other, they didn’t hear a word of what Akane just said. They seemed to be in the middle of a battle.

“It’s all fine. I expected as much since we’re rivals. I also bought a new swimsuit for today.” Himari showed off the swimsuit in question, which had Akane audibly gulp.

“It’s a bit…too flashy, no?”

“This much is necessary if I want Mr. Logical to fall for me.”

“Well…He’s the type of boy who doesn’t do anything to a girl he lives under the same roof with…”

“Oh…so he’s not going after you, Akane?” Himari narrowed her eyes with a smug expression.

“Ugh…W-Well, not yet, I say!” Akane delivered a weak attempt at fighting back.

“Well, Saito-kun and I already shared a kiss, you know?”

“That’s because you forced yourself onto him!”

“A kiss is a kiss. And it works just fine to make him conscious of me as a girl.”

“Really…?” Akane didn’t really understand it, but there must be some reason behind it, considering it came from Himari, the popular girl in class.

“Just so you know, but I’ll do everything I can to seduce Saito-kun today. You better be ready, Akane.”

“I-I will, too! I’ll make Saito go head over heels for me today!”

The two once again declared war on each other and put on their battle suits.

The Southern Summer Land functioned as a giant indoor leisure pool, covered by a large dome. The center of it all was one giant pool, with waterfalls and other sprinklers scattered across the area. Additionally, there were water slides built here and there, whether it was for one person or as a group with smaller rubber boats. You could even check out the high-speed water slides if you’d like.

And not just that, there were various food stalls all around, offering both Japanese and Western food, which allowed you to spend the entire day inside the dome. They even built a game center that you could enter with just swimsuits.

—I don’t think we’ll be home early tonight…

Saito finished changing into his swimming trunks early, now waiting for the girls at the exit of the changing rooms. Maho said he should wait here, but it genuinely felt like some sort of trap. The gazes from the passing women had been hitting him right where it hurt for a hot minute now. Some even held their phones, ready to report him if the need arose. Right as he felt cornered and ready to run away, the girls appeared from the changing room. Maho was the first to speak up, covering her mouth as she showed a disgusted reaction.

“Yikes…You’re actually waiting in front of the women’s changing room. You pervert!

“You wench…” Saito glared at her.

“Just kidding! You’re not a pervert, you’re just too pure for your own good. You virgin Onii-chan!” Maho leaped at Saito’s arm, rubbing her cheek against him.

Saito didn’t know if this was her joking around or genuinely trying to agitate him, but he certainly didn’t appreciate her clinging to him like she was wearing proper clothes. Her swimsuit had designs of tropical flowers like the hibiscus engraved into it, split into top and bottom. The bottom part was set as low as possible, revealing her thighs. It matched her innate beauty and the tropical resort she was in.

“…And?” Maho looked at Saito.

“And what?”

“C’mon, don’t you get it? I put a lot of effort into this cute swimsuit, so as the male representative here, I’d like to hear your impression.”

“What representative, I’m the only boy here…”

“Oh? So you don’t have any friends you could call for?”

“Ugh…” Saito grit his teeth.

Maho covered her mouth and snickered.

“Wow! Hit the mark, did I? Onii-chan’s a loner! Poor guy!”

“I don’t need your sympathy.”

In fact, Saito considered inviting some of the boys from his class, but he didn’t even know any of their contact addresses. It is the result of him not forming any deeper relationships with them, but it still was a shame. Maho continued to rub her body against Saito.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll just be your sex friend instead!”

“I don’t need that kind of relationship!”

“Then tell me what you think about my swimsuit already! How many points? 100? 200? 530 billion?”

“I think you’re evaluating yourself a bit too highly!”

However, he couldn’t deny the fact that she was cute enough to easily outshine all the other girls at the pool. And as proof of that, all the boys who passed them turned around at least once to look at her.

“I’d also…like to hear what you think, Saito-kun.”

Himari approached them, revealing her bold swimsuit. The bra part formed a cross that covered her chest, which also wrapped around her waist. She possessed an impressive chest either way, but this swimsuit emphasized her chest even further, making it shake at every step she took.

—It’s super lewd.

This was Saito’s initial impression. But of course, he hesitated to accept that and stayed silent.

“Brother, Brother, what about Shise?”

Shisei trotted towards him as she spoke up. Out of all the girls, she wore the most wholesome swimsuit. Her bottom part had frills attached to it, with the top part looking black and white like a maid uniform. Her white hips stood out because of the ribbon attached to the skirt. It made her look like an innocent fairy that came to visit the beach.

“Come on out and show him yours too, Onee-chan!”

“I-I’m okay…” Akane just continued to hide behind Himari.

She wore a white cardigan, making it hard to see what she wore beneath that.

“You went out of your way to buy it just for today, so it’d be a waste not to show it!”

Akane blushed and crossed her arms.

“I didn’t buy it just for today! The old one I had ended up in tatters, so I had to get a new one!”

“How does a swimsuit end up in tatters…I think you’re saving a bit too much monkey.” Saito said with a saddened tone.

“Yes, that’s right! Both chest and butt were in plain sight!”

Himari was bewildered at that statement.

“Akane?! Pull yourself together! Are you even aware of what you’re saying?!”

“Not in the slightest!”

Akane seemed to have gone mad. In truth, it was how Akane usually acted, which filled Saito with an odd sense of relief. However, the other three girls wouldn’t allow him to taste much of that. Maho, Himari, and Shisei all surrounded Saito, staring at him.

“So, Saito-kun? Who of us looks the cutest?”

“It’s gotta be me, right~”

“Brother should call Shise the cutest.”

The girls gradually grew closer, close enough to see the droplets of water on their bodies after they took a shower. Since they were all rocking a different but stunning body type, Saito was starting to feel hot.

“Y-You guys…are scaring me!”

No matter who he may choose, he’d walk right into a death trap. It might even turn into a bloodbath, ruining the peaceful atmosphere between them. As for Saito, he was simply hoping to spend his weekend reading some books in peace. But since Akane invited him, he decided to sacrifice that time and tag along, so he wanted to avoid any needless fighting. Thus, Saito desperately thought of a possibility to preserve this peace.

—I know! It might end up hurting me a bit…but this is my only solution out of this!

In an instant, Saito came up with an answer. He pointed his thumb at his own face and declared.

“The one cutest here…is me!!”

“““What?”””

Excluding the expressionless Shisei, the other three girls blinked in confusion at Saito’s statement.

“Look at my swimsuit! This color combination, the pattern of a palm tree emphasizing vitality, the beauty of the fabric binding around me…Don’t tell me you haven’t realized. Today’s MVP…is me!” Saito put both his hands on his swimming trunks to show them off.

Indeed, he was just trying to fumble his way through this mess. He chose to not pick any of the girls to escape the situation. Although he knew nobody would be happy by doing this.

“Onii-chan…are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really understand that kind of artistic view…”

“You’ve got rotten eyes, Saito.”

The girls all sighed in unison and averted their eyes. Since they were all kind deep down, they didn’t hold much of a grudge, but they were definitely disappointed. This led to Saito suffering more damage than he previously assumed, as he crouched down to hold his head. Shisei approached him, gently caressing his head.

“Well done, Brother.”

“You understand, Shise…?”

“Of course. Even if the world were to end by your hands, Shise will be your ally. Thus, Brother should take Shise to the pool with a floatie.”

“Let’s do that! Women are all evil!”

Saito held hands with Shisei and headed to the rental area. Naturally, they were walking slowly because running at the corner of the pool was dangerous. The small rut at the rental corner offered beach balls, floaties for one and two, as well as a large floating tool in the shape of a shark.

“If we don’t get a child-sized one, you’ll immediately slip through it, huh…”

Saito hesitated between a duck floatie and a unicorn floatie. That’s when Shisei poked her elbow into his side.

“What?” Saito’s body twitched as that tickled him.

“Shise wants this one.” Shisei carried a heart-shaped floatie, made for couples.

“That one’s too big, no? I think the duck one would look better on you.” Saito pointed at the duck floatie but Shisei pushed it away.

“Shise wants to sit in the same one as Brother.”

“I see…We can split the bill, so it’s the logical choice.”

“Shise thinks that Brother is her wallet.”

“You don’t think so, you genuinely see me as that, right?” Saito was about to talk to the employee to rent the floatie, when Himari and Maho came rushing over.

“Wait a second, Saito-kun! Let’s use that one together! I’ll even pay for it!”

“I wanna get on the lovey-dovey floatie with Onii-chan, too! Take a pic and upload it on social media!”

“Shise brought it up first, so she deserves it.”

Yet again, the girls were fighting each other. Saito had just survived the first battle, and yet he was dragged back into the following war.

“Rock, paper…”

A sudden rock, paper, scissors battle began, and Himari and Shisei also joined in with scissors.

“We’re even!”

“We’re even!”

“We’re even!”

They all ended up putting the same thing. Another demonic round began, as they began gathering an audience.

“Why are you deciding this without my consent…?”

Saito was left alone and bewildered. As for Akane, she didn’t participate in the match and just carried the heart floatie while fidgeting. Something was off about her, too. She seemed a lot more docile.

“Wooo! I won!”

The one to emerge victorious from the battle was Himari. She pushed her arm into the air and flashed a peace sign, jumping for joy. Because she did so, her chest was about to pop out, which gave Saito a fright. At the same time, Maho clung to Himari.

“Himarin, we’re not done after one match! You have to win 5000 matches!”

“No can do, Maho-chan. A loss is a loss, so you have to accept it. And I’ll be taking Saito-kun.” Himari said with a smug face and clung to Saito’s arm.

“You’re such a bully!” Maho lamented, and Shise nodded along.

“Himari is a bad witch. She’s gonna eat up Brother.”

“That’s right, I’m an evil woman. Anyway, see you later~” Himari rented the heart floatie, grabbed Saito’s hand, and walked away.

Saito didn’t like the idea of being treated as some sort of prize, but he equally couldn’t reject Himari³. She did work hard in the previous study session, so she was allowed a breather with friends.

“Wah, this looks like it’ll feel really good!” While still clinging to Saito’s arm, Himari jumped into the pool.

“Ah, hey!”

Saito was taken aback but had no time to prepare himself as he landed right in the water, as it splashed everywhere. Underwater, Himari’s blonde hair spread out like a spiderweb, as she grinned at him.

“Puha!” Saito pushed his face above the water and gasped for air.

Himari followed shortly.

“What are you doing?!”

“Sorry, sorry. I was just too excited, I couldn’t help myself. Coming to the pool with you is just like a dream.”

“I swear…”

Hearing these words thrown at him with a beaming smile made all of Saito’s anger vanish instantly. They called her an evil woman before, but she showed no glimmer of animosity.

“Here, Saito-kun!” Himari threw the heart-shaped floatie at him.

Because the sunshine entered the transparent glass dome above them, the heart shone with a bright red color. He put his body on the floatie and let the waves do the heavy moving. Following that, Himari dove under the water once more, appearing inside the floatie.

“Coming in!”

Her wet skin and swimsuit came in contact with Saito. A sweet taste filled Saito’s mind, as his entire body was riddled with goosebumps. Since there was barely any space inside the floatie, her chest was directly pressed on Saito’s back, and the thin fabric made the sensation even more vibrant. They practically bit into his back to the point they may have very well been naked.

Saito turned his body around and tried to escape from Himari’s chest, but now it was pressed directly on his own, which didn’t resolve a thing. On top of that, he could actually see how they changed shape, which made the situation only worse.

“This floatie…is a bit small for two people, huh?”

“What? No way, it said that it was made for two people.”

“Normally, that would make sense, but like this…” Saito looked away from Himari’s chest.

“Are you saying that my chest is too big?”

“I most certainly did not!”

But he was thinking that, so he wasn’t much better than that. It probably showed in his attitude, so Himari snickered.

“You’re quite the pervert, Saito-kun.”

“Not at all?! I’m always calm, always peaceful, with no wicked thoughts!” Saito was failing to make up a reasonable excuse.

“Really now? Maybe I should check if you’re speaking the truth…”

Himari flashed a mischievous smile, running her fingers along Saito’s chest. Her well-formed lips formed an arc, ready for her next action.

“Stop that. You’re actually the pervert here, aren’t you?”

“Haha, maybe I am. But, it’s your fault because you’re making me feel this way.”

“I don’t remember doing anything…” Saito sighed.

Himari was already plenty of a catch, but with this bold swimsuit and attitude, her attack power was buffed tenfold. The two of them just rested in the floatie and let it carry them down the pool. In the center of the large river was a small land. There stood a castle roughly the size of the previous small hut, offering a slide and a narrow tunnel, as well as an area for water guns. The children were going down the slide, shooting at the other visitors with the water pistols. A large bucket stood atop the castle’s roof, gathering water through pipes, and once it was full enough, it turned around and created a shower.

“That over there looks interesting, Saito-kun! Let’s check it out!” Himari pointed at the bucket.

“No…that’s dangerous. We can’t predict when the shower will happen, and there’s a chance you could break a bone when you fall down.”

“Of course not! They’d never build something that dangerous at a public pool! Look, everyone’s gathering around it! It seems to be popular.”

Just as Himari stated, a group of people stood beneath the roof, waiting for the next shower. Saito saw this and grinned.

“Fools…Unbeknownst of your impending deaths…”

“They won’t die. It’ll just spray water at them!”

“What’s the point of getting wet if they just came out of a pool? It only raises the risk of death, I see no merit in this. No logicality to be found.”

“Enough of the complicated thoughts! Let’s go ourselves!” Himari pulled on Saito’s arm as they walked towards the bucket.

Saito tried to move the opposite way with the floatie, but they were slowly being dragged toward it. Because the floor was slippery, he couldn’t get a proper hold.

—She’s not…more leg power than me?!

Himari’s legs were probably trained a lot more than Saito’s because she worked at the café, but it was still quite a shock for a boy like him.

“I…cannot lose this battle!”

“Saito-kun?! Who are you fighting?!” Himari was bewildered, but Saito kept on fighting.

Eventually, their floatie reached the area beneath the roof, and the bucket just finished filling up. Immediately after, they heard cheers. Ths shower from the bucket reached all the way to Saito and Himari. It ran down their shoulders, pushing down the floatie to the point it almost sank. Rather than simple rain, it was like a giant lump of water itself, possessing enough power to make them feel like they were getting crushed. Himari let out a shriek and held onto Saito. This led to her chest, hips, and other areas being pressed against him, but he had no time to enjoy that. Explosive water noises covered his ears, and he couldn’t even breathe. Finally, the downpour passed and only a faint glimmer of relief and freedom was left. Saito felt like all his impure thoughts and stress had been washed away.

“This…does feel pretty good.”

“Right? Doing stupid stuff doesn’t hurt once in a while.”

“I guess so.” Saito had no choice but to admit it.

At first, he didn’t particularly feel like visiting a leisure pool like this, and he didn’t understand the desire for land animals like humans to enter the dangers of the water, but it turned out a lot better than expected.

“I’ve been so stressed out because things between Akane were a bit awkward, but this might be a good change of pace for me to take a break.”

“Yeah, yeah! Just forget about Akane and have lots of fun with me!”

“Did you two have a fight or something?” Saito grew worried.

“Huh? Not at all. Why?”

“Normally, you’d always be hanging around with Akane, so…”

“I would do that, but today we’re having a serious battle, so I can’t waste my time.”

“What serious battle are you talking about?”

“That’s a secret for you, Saito-kun. It’s a secret between girls~” Himari put her index finger on her lips and showed a wink.

With her proportions and looks, a pose like that made her resemble a supermodel of sorts. Her glossy blond hair sucked up all the sunlight, making it look like it was sparkling, which only emphasized the idea that she was a foreigner.

“There’s a waterfall over there! Let’s check it out!”

“Hold on, let’s take a quick break!” Saito pleaded, but Himari didn’t stop moving her legs.

On the way there, the floatie bumped into a stone or down a sloping waterfall, which left Saito on edge each time. He was just being dragged along by the childish-acting Himari, when they heard an announcement reverberating across the whole area.

‘Dear visitors, we’d like to bother you for a moment to announce that we’ve encountered a lost child. Houjou Saito-sama, a child around ten years old is waiting for you to come to pick her up. Please come to the security room near the break area as fast as possible.’

As soon as the announcement ended, Himari looked at Saito in shock.

“Saito-kun…You had a child?! With Akane?!”

“If she’s ten, then I’d have to have made her when I was eight, right?!”

“You’re crazy! You did it when Akane was still in grade school?!”

“You’re the one who’s crazy, dangit!” Saito protested against this ridiculous accusation, but it was met with deaf ears.

“You had a mistress other than me?!”

“Again, that’s not my child, and you’re not my mistress!”

“Then who is that child?”

“If I had to guess, it’s probably Shise.”

“…Ah.” Himari showed an expression like everything clicked.

“Whenever she’s walking around alone in a crowd of people, she often gets mistaken for a lost child, so they bring her to the security or whatever.”

Her body stature was that of a child in grade school, awakening the protective desires of anybody who sees her, and Saito experienced that herself countless times, so he understood that all too well.

“It’s tough being too cute, huh? I’ll go with you.”

“You go have some fun with the others. I don’t think Shise would like to be seen by her classmates while she’s being treated like a lost child.” Saito slipped out of the floatie and went up to the poolside.

Himari kept holding onto the floatie and showed a somewhat dissatisfied pout. Saito checked the map of the pool, made his way down the path, and headed to the security room. The poolside was decorated with palm trees and flowers, creating an even stronger southern image. Even taking a walk felt like a small adventure. There were even some gals and influencers taking pictures to upload online.

A bit away from the water, you could take a rest on beach chairs, with some visitors building up tents to eat lunch with their families or drink something. Walking between the densely-packed nature area and the poolside, Saito reached the security room, which turned out to be a small log house with two floors. A sofa stood at the wall, which is where Shisei sat while eating some ice cream. The staff was probably trying to have her stay calm, as mountains of sweets were on both sides. Or rather, the empty wraps of such, as Shisei ate most of them already.

“Brother.” Shisei jumped off the sofa and ran towards Saito.

“I knew it’d be you.” Saito flashed a bitter smile at the sight of Shisei.

One staff member put her hand on her hip and scolded Saito.

“This isn’t good, you know? You have to keep watch over a small child like her. Who knows what might happen.”

“I’ll be careful from now on.” Saito lowered his head, grabbed Shisei’s hand, and left the room.

While grumbling complaints, Shisei walked alongside the pool.

“Shise explained that she wasn’t lost, but nobody listened to her. She just opted to call for Brother, but everyone is so rude.”

“Well, you do look like a child, so I don’t blame them.”

“Shise is overflowing with maturity. How could they be so blind?” She puffed out her modest chest, which had approximately zero effect.

It looked like she was doing some light stretches.

“C’mon, you have to be careful while walking or you’re gonna slip.” Saito put his hand on Shisei’s side, pushing her closer.

To the average person, it may look like a man who could be a father caring for a young girl who could be his daughter.

“There’s a waterslide for children over there. Should we check it out?”

The one for adults probably wouldn’t be too dangerous either, but Saito didn’t want to take any risk. Shisei apparently didn’t like that, however, as she moved away from Saito’s hand and fixed her posture.

“Are you going to treat Shise as a child, too?”

“…What?”

Saito was bewildered, not knowing where that even came from. Unlike usual, a faint glimmer of emotion resided inside Shisei’s voice. Her expression was the same as before, but she seemed a lot more dejected compared to before.

“Brother…Shise isn’t a child anymore.” She said and looked up at Saito.

Her eyes, even bluer than pure sapphire, shook as she tried to guess what Saito was thinking. She took Saito’s hand with both of hers, putting it against her chest.

“See…Shise isn’t some small child here, right?”

“H-Hey…”

“Shise’s in her third year of high school. She’ll soon be 18 like you. It might be happening slowly, but Shise is growing…Did you realize?” Shisei’s plump lips shone with a bright red color like the dawn of a new day.

Her cheeks were colored in a faint pink, too, as she awkwardly rubbed her cheeks together. The water droplets on her white skin shone like pearls. That sight of hers didn’t belong to any child, it was that of a normal girl. Her innate beauty was emphasized tenfold as it completely obliterated Saito’s ability to reason.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing. Since Brother was mocking Shise, she saw the need to correct him.”

“I wasn’t mocking you…Also, what’s bad with being small and adorable?”

Saito didn’t mean to look down on Shisei, especially since he was aware of how extraordinary her looks were. Her popularity with their classmates just spoke more of that.

“In your eyes…is Shise cute?” Shisei tilted her head.

“You’re cute, for sure.” Saito said without hesitation.

“How much? The cutest in the whole world?”

“The whole world…”

“Please, tell Shise. She wants to be praised by Brother.” Shisei stared at Saito evermore.

Her slender hips, befitting of a snow spirit, were covered by her long and glossy silver hair. Her nose was built perfectly, with eyelashes longer than a doll’s. Her beauty made her look like a succubus that would take your soul with her any moment. And yet, Saito just shrugged his shoulders like it wasn’t his problem. He already knew the answer to that question a long time ago.

“You’re the cutest in the whole world, Shise.”

“…!”

Shisei’s ears turned bright red. Because of her white skin, every change in color was obvious, revealing her reddened neck and chest. It was a genuinely rare sight to see Shisei flustered like this. She then pushed her cheek against Saito’s chest.

“…Then Shise will forgive you.”

“Great. I’d rather not fight with you.”

“That’s true. Shise would rather us both love each other.”

“I’m not too sure about that expression.”

“So, you don’t love Shise? You hate her? If so, then Shise has her own idea.”

The sky suddenly felt like it became clouded, so Saito quickly corrected himself.

“Of course I love you!”

“So Brother will treat Shise to some yakisoba?”

“Didn’t you just eat a mountain of sweets?!”

“Brother goes in a different stomach.”

“Stop making it sound like you’re gonna eat me.”

While talking back and forth like that, the two headed for the food corner. The larger area was built like a circle with tables and chairs all around, food stalls offering takoyaki, crepe, shaved ice, ramen, and other foods surrounding the park. The two went ahead and lined up at the yakisoba stall. Shisei was standing even closer to Saito than before, pushing her body against him. Her hair, silky smooth as it was, tickled Saito’s side. But even more than that, the fierce gazes from the people around him really stabbed him where it hurt.

“Aren’t those two…a bit dangerous?”

“A high school student and grade school student dating…that can’t be!”

“He’s a lolicon.”

“I should take a video of this and send it to the police.”

“Should I call for the security guard?”

And the list of comments directed at them went on. Saito went ahead and grabbed Shisei’s bare shoulders with both his hands.

“Shise…Could you maybe move away a bit?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to get reported, I think.”

“That’s no problem.”

“I can see a load of problems!”

“Don’t worry about the gazes of other people. We were even closer when Shise was smaller.” Shisei tightly clung to Saito, wrapping her hands around his waist, as she rubbed her cheek against his chest with a blissful expression.

The other visitors got noisy once again.

“When she was smaller…?”

“He’s a hyper lolicon!”

“I think he should just die.”

“Should I call an assassin?”

And they continued, their killing intent giving Saito the creeps. Why’d he have to go through this on a day off? He didn’t know, but he couldn’t just push Shisei away, either. He swallowed his tears and accepted the judgment of the other visitors. Buying yakisoba, takoyaki, crepe, and some shaved ice, the two secured themselves a bench. The shaved ice had taken the shape of a fox, with cookies acting as the ears and small balls of chocolate as the eyes.

“This shaved ice is supposed to be the Southern Leisure Land’s specialty, y’know. It’s honestly too cute for its own good.”

“Not cute at all,” Shisei said and mercilessly pulled out the fox’s eyes to eat them.

“I didn’t know that was a possible starting point…” Saito felt the urge to cover his eyes in an attempt to protect them.

At the same time, Shisei sat on Saito’s lap.

“Between the shaved ice and Shise, who is cuter?”

“Why’d you suddenly turn into some jealous girlfriend?”

“Shise can’t afford to lose against shaved ice.”

“Don’t you worry, the shaved ice got nothing on you.”

Saito wasn’t quite sure what had Shisei so jealous of a food product, but even that fact alone was quite cute. Saito found himself grinning at this fact, as he scooped up a bit of shaved ice and pushed it inside Shisei’s mouth.

“Here, eat.”

“Mgh.”

Shisei didn’t ask any further questions beyond that, and just munched up the extra shaved ice she was given. It made Saito feel like he was feeding a small animal. He took a bite from Shisei’s shaved ice, too, which had a mango flavor and was quite delicious.

“Spotted Onii-chan and Shii-chan!”

A cheerful voice reached them, and Maho almost dove onto the table. She pushed her mouth directly onto the spoon Saito was holding, getting a taste of the shaved ice, as she happily chewed on it.

“Mhm, the taste of Onii-chan and Shii-chan’s saliva!”

“You’re really grossing me out.” Saito felt terrified.

“It’s not gross at all! It’s a saliva mix of the Onii-chan I love so much and the ultimate beauty Shii-chan! I could drink a gallon of this!”

“You’re not gonna get that much!” Saito threw in a harsh rebuttal.

“Needless to say, I can drink as much of Onee-chan and Himarin’s saliva. Keep ‘em coming!”

“You’re fine with about anything, huh?”

“Not at all! Just Onii-chan and cute girls!” Maho leaped at Shisei and rubbed her cheek against her to the point it deformed Shisei’s own, who couldn’t be bothered anymore and pushed Maho away.

“Don’t cling to Shise like that. Too hot and she can’t breathe.”

That being said, Maho went right back to it again.

“Aww, but you’re always clinging to Onii-chan, right? Sitting on his lap while wearing nothing but swimsuits, it’s like you’re doing lewd stuff!”

“Brother and Shise are almost always doing lewd stuff.”

“Stop that.”

That comment from Shise had Saito feeling all tingly as she sat on his lap, the sensation of her legs much more vivid than usual. She’d normally wear a skirt and he some regular pants, but now he could even directly tell the size of her petite behind. Meanwhile, intruder Maho ate from the food they ordered like it was hers and leaned against the back of the chair.

“Man, that was delish! I was feeling a bit hungry, so that hit the spot!”

Or so she said, but she ate a good portion nonetheless. The other half of the food was sucked up by Shisei, as if she was some sort of vacuum cleaner, disappearing inside her stomach.

“You got too much freedom, I swear…” Saito grumbled, but he didn’t dislike this type, either.

Then again, he was used to Shisei being fully aware of her own charm, so this wasn’t anything new.

“Hey, hey, let’s check out the waterslide together! The ‘Jet-Black Slide’ is so crazy, there were people passed out by the end of it. Sounds fun!”

“I don’t see how that could be fun…” Saito was worried about his own health and safety.

Seeing this, Maho covered her mouth with her hand and immediately teased him.

“Oh my, oh my? Are you scared of water slides by any chance? Well, as expected of a virgin!”

“Me being a virgin has nothing to do with it.”

“It sure does! You’re a coward, so you won’t do anything to me no matter how much I ask you for it, so I bet you won’t be able to even take the water slide properly! Little scared Onii-chan!” She pushed her shoulder against Saito, poking her finger at his chest.

“You…”

Getting humiliated this much, Saito couldn’t back down quietly. If left alone, Maho would keep on going forever.

“Don’t come back crying later.” Saito grabbed Maho by the neck, dragging her to the Jet-Black Slide.

“Waaaah! Onii-chan is abducting me! He’ll treat me cruelly until I’m all wet!”

Yet for some reason, Maho sounded even more excited than before. Shisei walked next to them, munching on her takoyaki, making Saito wonder when she even bought that. She probably summoned it out of thin air with her magic or something. Or maybe it was her beauty that had every employee give her free food.

“Oh! This looks even crazier from upfront!”

The Jet-Black Slide was shaped like a giant donut. Rubber boats shot out of the pipe, doing 360° turns inside the construction. Rather than a water slide, this was more akin to a genuine rollercoaster. You could hear the screams of terror from couples inside, as they crawled off the boat with tears in their eyes once they made it to safety. One woman even stayed on the boat because her legs were shaking too much.

“Is this really gonna be okay?”

“It probably felt so good they started crying! Man, I can’t wait!”

Saito felt a grave sense of danger approaching, but Maho’s positive thinking made her overcome even that as she walked toward the slide. The starting point was at a height of a four-floor building. The three walked up the metal stairs, and yet it felt like an endless hike. Mid-way, Shisei stopped and opened her arms.

“Brother, Shise is tired. Carry her.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Saito picked her up, as Maho leaped at his back.

“Carry me, too!”

“I can’t carry the both of you!”

“Gosh, you’re such a weakling. You won’t ever be popular with a girl other than me if you keep this up.”

“I’m fine not being on your list of candidates.”

“Playing hard to get now? I know you’re happy!”

Despite not having had a sip of alcohol, Maho was acting like some drunkard, which actually made Saito feel annoyed for once. However, she also wasn’t overbearing to the point he couldn’t take it any longer. And Maho probably knew this, which is why she just kept on laughing. They finally reached the top, with a black rubber boat waiting for them, able to fit the three perfectly. The male staff made sure to set it up correctly so that Saito could be the first one to hop on.

“Make sure to protect me, Onii-chan!”

“Shise’s life is in Brother’s hands.”

They sat down at either side of Saito, clinging to his arm. His arms bit into their chests, their legs entangling with his.

“Excuse me, but would you mind keeping a bit of space between each other to erase any risk of danger?” The staff asked the three, but his hostility was mostly directed at Saito.

“Huh? No, I wanna ride together with Onii-chan! Pretty please?”

“A please from Shise, too.”

Begged by two beauties, the male staff bit his lip and pushed down the boat. In that split second, he whispered directly into Saito’s ear.

“…Real hell starts now.”

“What did I do to deserve this?!”

Saito’s plea for help was swallowed by the roaring sound of the boat going down the slide. It immediately picked up speed to the point it became terrifying. They then shot out of one pipe, pumping around inside the donut like they were playing with life-sized pinballs. Maho screamed and clung to Saito’s head, burying his nose in her chest, allowing him to feel her unexpected size directly.

“Onii-chan, look, look! The world is spinning!”

“I can’t see anything because your breasts are in the way!”

“Haha, your breath is tickling me! It’s hitting my chest!”

“Then get away from me!” Saito demanded, but Maho kept pressing further and further.

At the same time, Shisei had moved down to Saito’s side and aggressively licked it.

“Brother, you taste sour. Are you sweating because you’re nervous?”

“This really isn’t the time, right?!”

“So Shise can lick your body as much as she wants later?”

“Ah, that sounds nice! I’m gonna join you! Let’s just take off his swimsuit!”

“You guys should focus on the water slide before anything else!”

Surrounded by two beauties with absolutely no sense of danger, Saito was unable to fully take in the whole situation, just pushed back and forth, up and down, as he screamed for his life. By the time they reached the end, Saito was too exhausted to even get up himself. And his swimming trunks had been pulled down to a dangerously low level.

“…Who did it?”

“Shise didn’t.” “I didn’t do it.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that when you answer at the same time?! Then you’re both guilty!”

“Shise isn’t guilty.” “I’m not guilty!”

Shisei and Maho both averted their eyes at the same time. It was a pleasant sight to see both his sisters getting along like this, but Saito didn’t like the idea of them attempting to rip off his clothes mid-ride. He managed to hide in a nearby bush to fix himself before an employee could spot him, but this was one step away from ending as a tragedy. To ensure that something as risky as this would never happen again, Saito moved on to scold the two.

“You listen to me now. A man about to reach adult age cannot go full commando in a public area like this, or he’ll get reported and arrested.”

Even having to explain this fact made Saito feel nothing but regret.

“Okay, I got it!” Maho responded energetically.

“Did you really?” Saito was worried, but Maho just showed him a V-sign.

“Basically, everything will be fine as long as I visit you at night to undress you completely, right?!”

“I did not talk about that in the slightest!”

“You did! I heard the voice of your heart saying ‘I want to strip naked in front of Maho! I want to wear her panties on my head and dance around on the bed!’, I’m sure of it!”

“You were probably hearing your own desires replayed in your mind! You goddamn pervert!”

“Brother. Pervert.”

“Were you even listening?!”

Accused by Shisei, Saito fell to the depths of despair. He at least wanted his little sister to take his side in this. And yet, she held zero respect for him. At the same time, Maho clung to Saito’s arm again.

“Onii-chan! Let’s ride it one more time! Just one more time!”

“Like hell I’m gonna commit the same mistake of riding this with you!”

“I won’t do anything this time, I swear!”

“So you were the culprit after all!”

“Nevermind! I didn’t say a thing! I give up!”

Saito pulled on both her cheeks as he rammed his fingers into her mouth. However, she kept his index finger there, gently licking it.

“Geez, Onii-chan, you can’t just enter a girl like that. You’re too wild…But, I don’t dislike it!”

As expected, she didn’t give up in the slightest. On the contrary, she seemed happy. How could you even hope to lecture a pervert like her? Saito had no idea.

“That reminds me, where is Akane? I haven’t seen her this whole time.”

“She said she was tired so she went to take a break. Looking after our belongings, I think.”

“Is she not feeling well? Maybe we should go home?”

“She seemed to be fine. She just can’t deal with crowded places like these too much.”

“Neither can I, to be honest.”

Maho was confused.

“Huh? Then why did you two plan on coming here?”

“Two…? Who?”

“You and Onee-chan. Wasn’t the initial plan that just you both would come here?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Saito couldn’t find any reason why Akane would invite him to the pool. What could she even be plotting with this? As of late, it just felt like she hated him even more aggressively than before.

—Did I…have the wrong idea when she invited me?

Saito’s thoughts raced as he tried to keep Maho and Shisei’s hands off him.

Akane sat on the floor at a plaza near the wave pool, just lost in thought as she stared into the distance. Since carrying personal objects like a smartphone was forbidden when checking out the various attractions, she had everyone’s phones, wallets, as well as a tea bottle lying in front of her.

In the end, Akane was too embarrassed to ask Saito for his impression of her swimsuit, and she couldn’t just have fun with him while wearing a bold one like this. Since they came all the way here, she wanted her friends to have fun, and she didn’t mind looking over their belongings, but this loneliness inside of her still wouldn’t go away. In the end, she was the one waiting. Just as she had done when she was younger, unable to utter her true wish.

—We shouldn’t have come here in the first place…

Akane sighed, when someone suddenly placed their hand on her shoulder.

“Hey.”

It was a man’s hand, followed by a man’s voice.

—Is somebody hitting on me?!

Akane felt a chill run down her back. She heard that a lot of people visited these kinds of places, full to the brim with ulterior motives, but she never would have imagined that such a thing would happen to her. With Saito nowhere in sight, she had to fight back herself.

“You…!” Akane formed a fist and turned around with a sharp glare in her eyes.

“Calm down, I’m not here to fight.” Saito raised both hands to declare his defeat.

“S-Saito?! Why are you hitting on me?! You’re the worst!”

Met with this unexpected appearance, Akane felt her heart skip a beat.

“I’m not hitting on you! Maho just told me you were taking a break, so I thought I’d join you to relax a bit.”

“If you wanted to take a breather, you could’ve done that elsewhere, right?”

Saito awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“I…guess I could have. Hey, I bought some strawberry milk, do you want it?”

“S-Sure…” Akane accepted the cup he offered her and bit down on the straw.

It tasted sweet. Since all Akane could do up to this point was drink tea, she wasn’t exactly thirsty, and yet even so, it felt like a void inside her body was being filled.

—Did he…come here to see me because he thought I was lonely?

Akane glanced at Saito, realizing that her heart started beating faster. It might just be her misunderstanding, but Saito had the disposition to care for others. And at the same time, she felt frustrated that his appearance alone made her this happy.

“You try to act tough, but you never really say how you truly feel, right? You’re like a caring older sister.”

“Caring older sister…?”

That was the first time someone has ever said that to her.

“You don’t say what you want, or what you would like to do. When we’re fighting, it’s never because of what you want me to do, but more like ‘This is the logical decision that must be done,’ right?”

“H-Huh? Don’t talk like you know me!” Akane averted her face with a pout, but she didn’t dislike the fact that Saito had seen through her.

It meant that he was properly looking at her, which made her happy.

“Thanks for inviting me to the pool. I was worried I did something to make you angry, so I’m a bit relieved now.”

“I’m not angry. I’m just…”

—Embarrassed. But of course, she could not say that. The moment she became conscious of him, she was at an absolute disadvantage. And her pride wouldn’t allow her to be frank about it.

“Just…what?”

“It’s nothing!” Akane covered her face.

“I…don’t really get what’s going on, but I’d like it if you could be honest from time to time. Being selfish is fine, too. Rather than having you pent-up with stress, I’d rather you let out some steam once in a while before it explodes.”

“Before it explodes…?”

Akane grew worried that Saito saw her as a volcano about to explode. Then again, thinking about all the days they fought, she couldn’t exactly blame him either.

“C-Can I really…be selfish for once?” Akane looked up at Saito.

“Of course.” Saito nodded.

“And ask for whatever?”

“Well, I’m not gonna kill myself even if you tell me to.”

“I wouldn’t ask for that! Just who do you take me for…” Akane grumbled, but she immediately closed her lips.

She didn’t want to fight with Saito all the time. There was something else…to spend time with him. That’s why she invited him here. With a voice about to disappear, she uttered her wish.

“Th-Then, teach me how to swim.”

“Weren’t you doing pretty well during swimming classes?” Saito gave Akane a dubious look.

“I-I haven’t gotten any swimming lately, so I forgot how to do it! Right now, I can just flap my legs up and down. The moment I get into the water, I start sinking immediately, and I can never get up again! So, I want you to teach me everything from the start!” Akane just rambled on and shot up from the ground.

Embarrassed at her monologue and afraid of Saito’s gaze, she covered her face. She realized her knees were quivering, so she put the weight on her toes to hide that, as well.

“…Got it. Let’s go.” Saito stood up, offering Akane a hand.

Can people really forget something as basic as how to swim in such a short time? Saito had his doubts, but since it was a request from Akane, someone who rarely wished or asked for anything, Saito wanted to fulfill it. Plus, she must have an important reason for this. He stored everyone’s belongings away in the locker and turned towards Akane.

“We should leave your cardigan here, too.”

“But…” She tightly embraced the piece of clothing that hid her swimsuit.

At school, she had no hesitation whatsoever, so Saito was a bit confused about the reason for that.

“It’d be harder to practice with that on, you know?”

“Urgh…that is true.” Akane hesitated for a moment but eventually chose to open up her cardigan and take it off.

She pressed it onto Saito, who could feel some of the remnant heat on it.

“U-Um…So, how is it? I just bought this new swimsuit…” Akane looked up at Saito with a hesitant tone.

It was a black swimsuit consisting of a singular piece. The threads were connected at her neck, which made it look like a lewd-ish choker. Her back was mostly exposed, her white skin contradicting the black color of the swimsuit. Reaching down from the frilly ends were her almost translucent thighs. As it was a one-piece swimsuit, it also emphasized her well-endowed chest. Met with a swimsuit completely contradicting her usual attire, and adding Akane’s bashful attitude, it all mixed together to create a beautiful image.

“Y-Yeah…I think it’s good?”

“Wh-What do you mean by good? That it’d be better if I didn’t wear a swimsuit like this?! I know that! That’s why I’ve been hiding it!” Akane broke out in tears and attempted to steal the cardigan back from Saito.

“That’s not what I meant! It… looks great! It hits exactly where it should, and it’s got plenty of adult charm! And I like it a lot!” Saito gave Akane a thumbs-up.

He knew he was probably sounding like a gross freak right about now, but all of this was too much for him to handle, he just pushed out how he truly felt. He prepared himself to receive a grossed-out reaction from Akane, possibly even to be treated as a sexual offender, but…

“Wh-What’s up with that…Pervert.” Akane just blushed and whispered in a cute voice.

She essentially was still insulting him, but it didn’t sound that way in the slightest. Rather, Saito was filled with the urge to have her call him that a few more times, which put his brain into overdrive.

“I am a pervert!” He slammed his head into the locker door to cool down his head.

“Saito?! I wasn’t being serious right now! They’ll get angry at us if you break the locker! And your head’s gonna spill open like an egg!” Akane tried to pull him away from the locker.

Saito was gasping for air.

“S-Sorry…I’m not a pervert…”

“I-It’s okay…Even if you are one…” Akane muttered as her ears turned red.

Now that Saito accepted Akane’s request for him to teach her how to swim, he planned on pulling through with it until the bitter end. He had looked up various swimming styles and methods in a book before, so he could use that knowledge to teach Akane.

“For now, we should start with some light training.”

“Training?! Why?! I just wanted some swimming lessons!” Akane was baffled.

“The basics are important, no matter what you do. Luckily, I brought my protein with me, so we can make do with that today. But, a mild amount would probably be better for you.”

“I don’t want to take any protein! And neither am I going to do some weird muscle training!”

“If you don’t do it now, when will you? Youth only lasts an instant.”

“What are you even talking about…?” Akane didn’t know what to make of Saito’s weird personal argument.

Since Saito was arguing for her sake, he was a bit perpetuated at such a response.

“Then what should we do now? I was thinking of letting you do the ‘Kitten Pose’ to strengthen your back muscles and abs so that you get naturally better at swimming, but…”

“Kitten?!” Akane pushed her body forward, which was to be expected from a cat lover like Akane.

Just as Saito planned, of course.

“Wh-What kind of pose is that?! Explain it to me!” Akane seemed restless.

“You put both your hands and knees on the floor, curl up your back, and stretch it again. It’s the kind of pose cats make when you interrupt their nap.”

“That sounds pretty embarrassing if you ask me?!”

“But, it’s a kitty, you know? It’s your one-in-a-million chance to become like a cat. You love cats, right?”

“Ugh…But…” Akane was hesitant.

Seeing her this flustered, Saito grew even more curious and interested in seeing her do that. He closed the distance between the two and put some more pressure on her.

“It’s fine. Nobody is watching right now. And I’ll closely watch over you.”

“I don’t want that!” Akane pushed Saito away. “Just teach me normally! Even just holding my hand is fine!”

Saito audibly gulped.

“How can you even improve with some lukewarm training like that? You won’t make it through the ocean at this rate.”

“I don’t have any plans of swimming that far!”

“If the whole world is submerged by water, it’d raise your chance at survival…”

“I highly doubt I’d survive that either way!”

“I will. Even if humanity falls to ruin.”

“That’s great. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

Akane had to accept it, but she didn’t really feel like admiring Saito’s survival skills. In fact, she just thought he was as nimble and resourceful as a cockroach. The two eventually headed for the pool, entering with the stairs at the side. Since neither of them had been inside for quite some time, it felt refreshing but also cold at the same time. Akane carefully followed Saito, pushing her hands towards him.

“Th-Then…if you would.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Even though this wasn’t their first time holding hands, Saito felt nervous. He grabbed both her wet hands, which conveyed the sensation of her skin even more clearly. He pulled on her arms, deeper into the pool as she flapped her legs up and down. It didn’t feel like any proper training to him. And to a random stranger, it was most likely seen as a couple flirting around.

“This is what you wanted to do…?”

“Yes, this is what I wanted to do!”

Saito was a bit bewildered, but Akane seemed in a good mood. She smiled happily as if everything recently had just been a bad dream. Her back was in plain sight, reaching above the water. Her white legs splashed up and down. Her behind was visible too, looking oddly adorable, and her earlobes were colored in a faint strawberry-red color. The more he looked, the more he glanced toward her chest, so he had to tear his gaze away. Unable to bear the embarrassment, he turned his back towards her, speeding up as he pulled Akane along.

“Eeek! Wait, you’re going too fast!”

“If you don’t pick up the pace, you won’t be able to survive in today’s day and age!”

“I don’t care about that! You’ll bump into other people! Be careful!”

“I’m the newest model, I’m fine no matter the impact!”

“But I’m telling you to stop!” Akane said and clung to Saito’s back.

Her wet skin, soft neck, and chest, all bit into Saito’s own skin. He felt her panicked breathing hitting his ears. Akane probably grew scared, as she even wrapped her legs around his waist. He may have been used to that if it came from his little sister Shisei, but Akane would normally never do such a thing, leaving him bewildered.

“Okay. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“…Really?” Akane sounded dubious, as she still clung to Saito.

“Really. So, won’t you let me go? This position is a bit…”

Hearing it from Saito’s mouth, Akane finally realized what dangerous position they had ended up in. Panicked, she moved away from Saito.

“Th-This is…I didn’t do it on purpose! Not because I wanted to! I didn’t cling to you or anything!” Her cheeks turned hot, as she punched the water to make excuses.

“You were clearly clinging to me!”

“It’s because you pushed your back towards me! That’s sexual harassment!”

“You’re making it my fault?!”

Saito couldn’t believe that the blame was being pushed onto him again. But at that moment, he saw Shisei, Himari, and Maho all swimming toward them from upstream. They rented a new floatie in the shape of a shark that could carry all three of them.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s go.”

Saito attempted to move toward them, but Akane grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“…wanna.” She kept her face down, but the tone of her voice made it clear that she wasn’t too happy.

“What’s wrong?”

“Over here!” Akane pulled on Saito’s hand, going along the shallow water.

They moved away from the stream pool and instead went down some stairs towards an underground area. There was a small space functioning as a man-made cave. Pillars rose from the water that consisted of rock, with lights dimly illuminating the area. It was around as warm as a regular hot spring. You probably weren’t supposed to swim here, as several other visitors sat down and snuggled up to each other.

“They even have a hot spring here? That’s one hell of a feat. I’m guessing you wanted to come here?”

“Y-Yes.” Akane sat down, with Saito following shortly after.

They stretched out their legs, basking in the warm water that relaxed their muscles that got all exhausted from playing the whole day. However, Saito caught on to something weird about their surroundings and stiffened up. This cave spring was visited by a fair number of couples. In fact, it seemed like the majority here consisted of them. You could see men and women hugging each other, kissing each other, women sitting on another man’s lap, and just flirting around in general.

Because of the convenient steam filling the area, allowed these couples to become a step bolder than usual, creating a licentious atmosphere. Saito even heard faint moaning from one corner. No doubt, this place existed for one reason alone.

—Akane wanted to come here?!

Saito looked at her in shock, finding her with her hand in front of her face, shaking violently. She seemingly didn’t know about this either. Even if it was a popular date spot for couples, as Saito and Akane weren’t in that relationship, it was just awkward and nothing more.

“G-Guess we should go!” Saito attempted to stand up, but Akane grabbed his wrist.

“…No. Don’t go.” She pleaded with a weak voice.

Saito doubted his ears, considering all she would normally do is curse and threaten him, but she looked up at him with dampened eyes. Because of this sweet plea, Saito had no other choice but to sit back down again. She kept holding onto his hand, sinking deeper into the water until it reached up to her mouth. Saito was yet again in awe at her beauty. It felt like they were taking a bath together, leaving him restless. Maybe…Akane didn’t want to regroup with the others? Maybe…Saito had been on the wrong track this entire time?

“Can I…ask one thing?”

“What?”

Saito hesitated for a moment, finally voicing his question.

“Did you…want us to come to the pool alone?”

“…!” Akane’s body grew stiff, as she tightly put her lips together.

Saito could easily tell that she was blushing, even amongst the dim lights in the cave. He was given his answer without another word.

“Sorry. I didn’t think that’s what you wanted…”

“It’s…okay. We’re alone right now, so that’s all that matters.”

The way Akane pouted was unbearably cute. Since they didn’t have much time to act as a family as of late, she wanted to come here as just the two of them. She had no ulterior motive. And even so, Saito’s heart began beating loudly. His entire body began to boil, and the hand of his that Akane was holding felt close to burning up. It must be because of the hot spring. That was the only reason Saito felt this dizzy.

---

1 AAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHYYYYYY

2 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IM GOING INSANE HELP ME PLEASE

3 Yeah, go cry about the girls treating you like shit, but then backstab Shisei at the first chance you get. Good guy you are, Saito.